Food miles???????

[Jack]

Gidday

Thought ewe jokers might be interested in this article.

UK DAIRY FARMS PRODUCE MORE GREENHOUSE GASES
A new "food miles" report shows that British dairy farmers produce 31
percent more greenhouse gases per hectare than NZ dairy farmers,
according to the Lincoln University report.
>> http://www.stuff.co.nz/hlc/1,,97659~414 ... 0~,00.html

It just shows you that you are better off buying New Zealand grown products that are shipped over there.

[Jandra]

Contra-intuitive, isn't it? Now I'm not going to voice an opinion of the quality of the report, but I like the way it makes you think beyond actual food miles to production methods.

I think it's very good people conduct research like this, beacause then you have a chance to really make things better, in stead of patting each other on the back for taking food miles into account when shopping.

Perhaps it just isn't possible in the UK to produce in the same way as in NZ and it may still be best if local produce (being produced anyhow) is consumed locally, so that it doesn't need to be transported. But it's also possible that production can be improved and that reports like these and ciritcal consumers can force the sector to move to less wasteful ways of production.

When I started backing my own bread my husband pointed out that I was wasting energy. I was slightly miffed, but he was right. It's more energy efficient to bake bread in large quantities, so energy-wise I'd do better if I bought it from the baker's.

Same thing with my allotment: as long as I regularly keep driving to my allotment by car (sooo practical for hauling heavier stuff) I might add more food miles than I save by growing my own. Bulk transport is very much more efficient than private cars.

I derive lots of satisfaction out of baking bread and growing veg, but no pats on back enery-wise.

Well, sorry for rambling on. The article just got me thinking.

Jandra

[Bonniegirl]

A very good response Jandra, again more food for thought!

I don't have to worry too much about food miles regarding food from NZ, I live here! lol

All the meat we consume we raise on the property anyway, but we still have to drive to go shopping, there is no bus available directly from here, if you have to drive to the nearest bus stop then you might as well drive to the shop!

[red]

yes - I have often said that everyone baking their own bread in their own breadmakers was not energy efficient... society is not all bad. one baker using one oven in the village was the old way, and the most logical.

re the article.. interesting that it is put 'gases per hecter' so not saying how much gases per litre of milk or gases per block of butter.. but gases per area of land.

ie perhaps the cows are spread out a bit more in NZ ?
be interesting to read the actual report

the last report that stated that it was more energy efficient to produce lamb butter and eggs from NZ fridge them and transport them half way across the world was so flawed even someone like me could find laughable holes in it. they actually incorrectly stated how animals were kept in this country..
I'm afraid it is difficult to take a new report seriously after that one.

But as I have said - not seen the actual report yet.

[Wombat]

Probably feedlot vs open pasture.........

And if you bake your bread in a solar oven it is "efficient". You have to be a bit careful with that term or we'll wind up back here again.

Nev

[mybarnconversion]

It just shows you that you are better off buying New Zealand grown products that are shipped over there.

Why would I buy a lower quality product than I can buy on my own doorstep? ;)

Strange how that article is from a NZ site - shame there's no real substance ... seriously the main lesson to be learnt from such a study is what are the differences in production techniques and how can British farmers learn to be more efficient.

[ina]

I've had a look at the original study - part of a larger one that was published last year and is on the Lincoln Uni site. It is, of course, true that in the UK you have to have more and better buildings; it is also true that in the UK more concentrate is fed. On the other hand, the scientists did their own research into 150 (I think) NZ dairy farms, whereas they only pulled data for the UK farms from books. A lot of their assumptions on UK farms seem to me a bit dodgy, too. I've not had time (nor the inclination) to check every single one, but I would be careful about taking it all as read. And don't forget that it's in NZ's interest to prove that their product is better (for the environment at least)...

Also, it'll all become rather obsolete once oil gets in such short supply that the cost of transport will rule out importing products like milk powder from afar. ANd until then, I reckon the best we can do is support our dairy industry, so that less energy consuming production methods can be developed.

[Muddypause]

We've done this before - http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... php?t=4055

Put this report in the context of our previous comments. The link in this thread refers to a 25 page report by Professor Caroline Saunders, released a few days ago. I'd suggest this would be a synopsis of the larger 117 page report by the same author that we were commenting upon last year. If that is so, I'd reckon it was more about marketing miles than food miles.

[ina]

Thanks, Stew - I knew I'd looked at that before... The "new" report is not on their website yet.